France: Chapelle Saint Antoine, Bessans

France: Scenes from the Life of Christ in BessansThe interior of the Chapelle Saint Antoine in Bessans is covered with frescoes and a part of the exterior as well. They are painted between 1503 and 1522 and show the Life of Christ in 40 episodes. Interesting are the details from the daily life of Bessans, introduced in the scenes of Christ. Like the fashion that can be dated between 1450 and 1460.

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'Jesus' girlfriend?’
We know that the person in Christ's embrace, in this Last Supper fresco in the Chapelle de Saint Antoine in Bessans, is St. John the Evangelist, also known as the Disciple whom Jezus Loved. But we have all read Dan Brown's "Da Vinci Code" and he concluded that this person must be a woman: Mary Magdalene, his lover! The chapel and its frescoes date from the beginning of the 16th century. Photo Paul Smit.

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'Meal at Lazarus' house.’
The interior of the Chapelle Saint Antoine in Bessans is covered with frescoes, and a part of the exterior as well. This fresco, following the gospel of Luke, shows Jesus being invited for a meal by Lazarus (who he had resurrected some time before). Lazarus' sister Maria Magdalene, under the table, is at the point of anointing Jesus by pouring the entire contents of a very expensive perfume over his feet. Judas, at right, is offended and tells that the oil could have been sold and the money distributed among the poor. The chapel and its frescoes date from the beginning of the 16th century. Photo Paul Smit.

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'Apostle with scissor-glasses.’
The interior of the Chapelle Saint Antoine in Bessans is covered with frescoes and a part of the exterior as well. Even if the religious meaning escapes you, you can enjoy the quality of the work and the details. Like this scissor-glasses on the nose of one of the apostles. The chapel and its frescoes date from the beginning of the 16th century. Photo Paul Smit.

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'The Holy Spirit.’
The interior of the Chapelle Saint Antoine in Bessans is covered with frescoes, and a part of the exterior as well. With wonderful details, like this Holy Spirit, symbolized by a dove. At Pentecost it was outpoured over the apostles, associated with tongues of fire. Heaven, from where it comes, is symbolized by what looks like the edge of a curtain. The chapel and its frescoes date from the beginning of the 16th century. Photo Paul Smit.

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'Saint Anthony.’
Saint Anthony (the Great) is shown as a monk in the Chapelle Saint Antoine in Bessans . That's because he is often called the father of all monks, because he was the first Christian eremite to attempt living in the Egyptian desert and not on the city outskirts as some ascetics had done before him. This inspired others to a monastic way of life. The bell and the letter T ('tau") are his attributes.
In the Alps Saint Anthony is the patron saint of domesticated animals. Since Savoy has always been famous for its cheese and since the Col de Mont Cenis was one of the most important routes to Italy in those days, cattle farmers and the donkey drivers recognized Anthony as their best friend. Therefore nearly every village in the Haute Maurienne has its own St. Anthony chapel. Photo Paul Smit.

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'Last Supper.’
Two things hit the eye in this Last Supper fresco in the Chapelle de Saint Antoine in Bessans. First: the areoles. The apostles seen on the back seem to have hats of bolted gold! Second: the person in Christ's embrace. We know it should be St. John the Evangelist, also known as the Disciple whom Jesus Loved. But we have all read Dan Brown's "Da Vinci Code", and he concluded that this person is a woman: his lover! The chapel and its frescoes date from the beginning of the 16th century. Photo Paul Smit.

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'Angel on an empty tomb.’
The interior of the Chapelle Saint Antoine in Bessans is covered with frescoes and a part of the exterior as well. Even if the religious meaning escapes you, you can enjoy the quality of the work and the details. Like this angel, sitting on the lid of Jesus' empty grave. The chapel and its frescoes date from the beginning of the 16th century. Photo Paul Smit.

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'Apostle with scissor-glasses.’
The interior of the Chapelle Saint Antoine in Bessans is covered with frescoes, and a part of the exterior as well. Even if the religious meaning escapes you, you can enjoy the quality of the work and the details. Like this scissor-glasses on the nose of one of the apostles. The chapel and its frescoes date from the beginning of the 16th century. Photo Paul Smit.

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'Madonna, child and apple.’
The Chapelle Saint Antoine in Bessans is famous for its late medieval frescoes. But it houses a nice madonna with child, as well.
The apple (in fact probably a pomegranate) should remind us why we have been driven out of paradise. But it is an apple of salvation, not damnation (as the one plucked from the Tree of Knowledge). In fact, Mary offers us an apple symbolizing the redemption she has brought to the world by incarnating Christ. She thus appears as a New Testament antitype to Eve. Photo Paul Smit.

The interior of the Chapelle Saint Antoine in Bessans is covered with frescoes, and a part of the exterior as well. This fresco, following the gospel of Luke, shows Jesus being invited for a meal by Lazarus (who he had resurrected some time before). Lazarus' sister Maria Magdalene, under the table, is at the point of anointing Jesus by pouring the entire contents of a very expensive perfume over his feet. Judas, at right, is offended and tells that the oil could have been sold and the money distributed among the poor. The chapel and its frescoes date from the beginning of the 16th century. Photo Paul Smit.